Alone
by Xaja Silversheen
Summary: Turned on by her comrades... Her former Master? Dead. Her apprentice? Dead. Her friends? Dead. She was alone in a hostile galaxy that she had once guarded as a Jedi Knight. Set during Order 66.


**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Star Wars. I only own my OCs (Zara and Kichan), and the state of pandemonium on my desk, and my cup of tea. And the various college assignments I'm procrastinating on... Oops.**

**I KNOW, I'm supposed to be working on "Missing", but this plot bunny bit hard and won't let go. I've decided to appease it in case I ever want to work on my homework or other fanfics again. *sigh*.**

**Enjoy! Please review! I may write related chapters to this not-quite drabble in the future.**

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A blaster bolt whizzed by her ear. She ducked, rolling underneath some nearby foliage.

Shouts sounded from behind her. She couldn't stay here. She had to get out.

Crawling military-style along the ground, she crept away from the tree, seeking the shelter of the deep shadows within the forest. Pulling her hood up to cover her bright red hair, she tugged her robe tighter around her tiny frame as she fled into the forest.

A yell sounded. A blaster was fired. Zara cried out in pain as the laser struck her arm, rendering the limb nearly useless. But she wouldn't use her lightsabre yet. She didn't want to risk discovery.

Her former guard of clone troopers entered the forest, following her trail. Zara sighed in resignation. She had already been discovered. She snapped the jade lightsabre to life.

The soldiers immediately opened fire. However, Zara was able to deflect the bolts back to her former comrades, killing most of them. For once, she was grateful she was such a little target, combined with the inaccuracy of the blasters. Her size may have been the only thing that saved her life that day.

The last soldier fell, dead. Zara deactivated her lightsabre, breathing hard from exertion. But she knew she couldn't stay here. She had to get off-planet, maybe back to the Temple. That would be a safe refuge...

She dropped to her knees as an old bond within her mind snapped. She could almost hear a scream of pain through the Force as a dear friend and father figure died what had to be a violent death.

_Cin!_ Zara cried out, physically and through the Force. _No! Cin, I thought you were in the Temple!_ He had to have been! He'd been permanently assigned as the head lightsabre instructor and Battlemaster after her Knighting, and wouldn't have left for the battlefield unless the war was becoming desperate. And the Republic had been winning!

Although... Wasn't the Temple being guarded by clone troopers? And hadn't her own soldiers turned on her?

_No! Cin!_ Zara wanted to deny it. She couldn't believe that the clones would turn on the Jedi, especially not the Temple.

She reached for the second bond in her mind. _Kichan, what's going on?_ Her teenage Padawan was at the Temple, being minded by Cin while Zara was on the field.

_Master! The clones, they turned on us! Master Cin's dead, and so are most of the other Jedi!_ Kichan sounded terrified. _Master, what's going on?_

_I don't know, Kichan._ Zara glanced up, warily. She knew there were other clones in the area, all of whom would probably be seeking her blood. _My troops just turned on me. Listen, can you still get out of the Temple?_

_Not out the front entrance, Master. There's clones guarding the front shooting any Jedi that tries to escape. And... I think Knight Skywalker's with them._

_What?!_ Zara's hand clenched into a fist. _All right, you know about the memorial room in the lowest level of the Temple?_

Kichan's answer was hesitant. _Yes._ Zara knew the boy hated that area of the Temple, but knew this would be his only hope.

_Get down there and hide. With any luck, Skywalker won't think to look for anyone there. When you think the coast is clear, run and somehow get off Coruscant. Understood?_

_Yes, Mas-_ Kichan suddenly screamed. _Master, they found me! They've-_

_Kichan!_ Zara stifled a sob as her bond with the boy shattered. _NO! Kichan! Cin!_

All that responded to her cries within the Force was silence. Death.

She was alone.

Obi-Wan? He had probably already been killed. Garen? She had no way of knowing. Reeft?

A ripple through the Force confirmed his death.

Siri and Bant had both died years ago.

Mace Windu? Probably dead. If Cin were dead, Mace wouldn't have had a hope.

Master Yoda? That was anyone's guess.

Sera, Cin's second apprentice? Most likely dead.

Zara Taerich?

The redhead glanced up, tears blurring her vision. She knew that if she didn't get away from her former allies now, she would be joining the ranks of the dead.

Were any Jedi left alive anywhere in the galaxy?

Zara had no idea. But she had to find out.

Keeping low, she managed to sneak past the rest of her soldiers to the space vehicles and commandeer a star fighter. _Let it not be said that I wasn't listening in Master Rhara's class,_ thought Zara grimly as she turned on the flight craft. It took moments to escape the planet's atmosphere, by which time the clone troopers below her wouldn't be able to track her easily.

She hesitated when setting her coordinates. _Where would the Republic not think to search for a fugitive Jedi Knight?_ Briefly studying the list of nearby planets on the computer, she picked out Corstris and jumped into hyperspace. Setting the ship on autopilot, she finally gave into her grief, weeping for her former Master, her young Padawan and her dear friends.

Whether any had survived this betrayal was unlikely. But Zara had to find whoever was left, if any.

As the stars leaped past the cockpit window, she stared out into the darkness of space, her future bleak. In that second, the full truth hit her.

Zara Taerich, former Jedi Knight of the Republic, was alone.

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**If you want me to continue this, either from the views of other Jedi who died or as a continuation of what's happening to Zara, please tell me!**

**And if anyone's waiting for an update on "Seriously?", go check out the poll on my profile. **

**Thanks, guys! Please review!**

**Xaja**


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